"Are you sure you're okay?" Hongjoong asked once Seonghwa had been able to eat a little and finally relax.

"Yes, Joong." The Beta flashed a fond but exhausted smile. "I just want to sleep and recover without you stressing over me every two minutes."

The younger scrunched his nose in displeasure then fell silent.

"We were both just so worried..." Yeosang added from where he was sitting on Seonghwa's other side.

"I know. I'm sorry." Seonghwa looked at both of them in turn and let out a small sigh.

"Please don't apologize." Hongjoong took his hand and squeezed. "None of this was your fault."

All of them were trying to sort through their own feelings. It would take time, and as much as he struggled with it, Hongjoong knew he needed to let everyone process on their own.

But he still kept tabs on where everyone was located.

Jongho, Wooyoung, and San were still upstairs. Mingi and Yunho had gone outside, which worried him but he trusted that the two of them could take care of themselves. The member of BTS had all moved outside as well, but Hongjoong could see they were just sitting on the desk. He had a feeling that Yoongi at least would not want to get very far away while Wooyoung was still recovering.

It was interesting comparing the Alpha to his own. Chan didn't seem nearly as possessive, which is what made the dynamic between seem to work.

Yoongi on the other hand... he seemed to grow uneasy whenever he was too far away from both Jimin and Wooyoung.

If he had to guess, Hongjoong thought that maybe it was because he was so much more in tune with his Alpha instincts since he'd been here longer. All of BTS seemed to be that way. They moved as one, always seemed to know when someone needed something before it was spoken aloud, and the way they looked at each other showed they truly had a deeper connection.

When Seonghwa shifted next to him, Hongjoong's attention immediately snapped back and his eyes darted over the older's body to make sure was still okay.

"Joongie, please stop worrying, I can smell it all over you." Seonghwa huffed and sat back to sink into the couch a little.

Yeosang flashed a small smile too and Hongjoong felt a little better when he saw the understanding look in his eyes.

Then Seonghwa asked, "So what happens next?"

That was something Hongjoong had been trying to work out too.

The Maze event was over and because of how they left, they had no idea if they had won or if it was even still going on.

"I suppose we can head to the courtyard, see if there are any new announcements. A new market is tomorrow, right?" Hongjoong hummed.

"Yeah, that sounds right, Hyung." Yeosang's gaze drifted to the front window and his normally fresh rain scent suddenly turned sour. "Hyung...?"

Hongjoong followed his gaze in time to see ten Androids walking up to the house. He stood and quickly stepped outside, where everyone in BTS was already on high alert.

Through his connection with Chan, he started to feel the same sense of worry. Were there Androids there too?

"What's going on?" Namjoon asked, looking down at him.

"I don't know. This is the most we've seen the Androids the entire time we've been here..."

No one got a chance to say anything else because one of the silver machines began to speak with their cold, lifeless voices. "We are here to perform a health check. Please gather everyone and remain outside so we can examine you one at a time."

"Excuse me?" Namjoon said, crossing his arms over his check. "What kind of health check?"

"We want to make sure every contestant is still in peak health. Enough time has passed, we will perform a physical on each of you."

"And what if we say no?" Yoongi growled.

All ten Android's heads snapped to look directly at him. "You do not have a choice. It is a mandatory test. If you resist, we will detain you."

The answer made Yoongi bristle but Namjoon was quick to place a hand on his shoulder.

One look from him had Hongjoong going back inside and straight for the stairs.

"What's going on?" Seonghwa rushed over and grabbed his arm to stop him.

Hongjoong flinched for a second, his instincts running on overdrive, and he looked at both his fellow Betas. "U-Um... The Androids what to do a health check. Will you two go find Mingi and Yunho? They need all of us. And stick together."

When he got a nod in return, Hongjoong took the stairs two at a time and went straight for the room he knew his other three packmates were in.

Their mingled scents filled even the hallway, making Hongjoong pause for a second. He didn't want to interrupt anything, but he didn't think the Androids would wait forever.

He tentatively knocked on the door, then pushed it open to poke his head inside.

And his heart instantly melted.

Jongho had an Omega curled up on either side, his arms wrapped protectively around them. San's neck was extended so his nose was closer to the mating mark on Jongho's neck while Wooyoung's head was resting on Jongho's chest and Jongho's nose was pressed against the top of his head.

All three were sleeping so soundly, Hongjoong couldn't help but take a moment to just watch them. The Omegas already looked so much better, which made their mysterious illness all the more confusing, but Hongjoong was relieved to see color back in their skin and no more looks of agony.

As much as he hated to, he walked forward and gently shook San's shoulder since he was closest to the door. "San? Sannie, I need you to wake up."

The younger moaned and his forehead scrunched in displeasure.

"I know, but you guys need to get up and come downstairs."

At those words, Jongho cracked open one eye. "What's going on, Hyung?" He asked, voice still thick with sleep.

"The Androids are wanting to do a health exam..."

"What?" Jongho opened both eyes now and shifted in place, which in turn woke Wooyoung up and made the youngest Omega whine.

"Yeah." Hongjoong rubbed the side of his neck. "They want us all outside so they can come in and do each exam individually. And they've already said we don't have a choice. I think the same thing is happening to all the packs because I can feel Chan's unease right now too."

His Head Alpha frowned. "Well I don't like the sound of that..."

"Neither do I, but I don't think we have a choice."

His packmates huffed, except for Wooyoung, who whined again, and started to untangle themselves so they could climb out of bed.

Hongjoong tilted his head as he observed the way San and Wooyoung seemed to move in perfect sync. They'd always been close, but Hongjoong could sense that something had changed between them.

And Jongho watched their every movement too, but in a much more intense way, like he was afraid they'd disappear from his sight if he even blinked. Even his scent was thick with dominance.

What a bad time for a health check...

Mingi and Yunho were back by the time Hongjoong and the others made it outside.

Yoongi's head snapped around and he immediately grabbed Jimin's hand to pull him along as he made a beeline straight for Wooyoung. He gently cupped the Omega's cheek and murmured, "Are you alright?"

The younger blushed and nodded. "Yes, Hyung. I feel a lot better now." Then he gasped just a little when Yoongi dipped his head to scent him.

"You smell better too."

"We will begin with the Betas." The Androids said, cutting off everything that was happening. "Choose who will go first, or we will."

Hongjoong glared at the machines before turning to look at his fellow Betas. They all exchanged silent looks before Hongjoong stepped forward. "I will."

All ten Androids followed him into the cabin and Hongjoong suddenly regretted his decision. He felt caged in, especially when they started giving him orders like to remove his shirt and sit on the couch and hold out his arm.

It ended up being a very standard physical, but like the ones he would receive almost weekly back at the company to make sure he was still in peak condition to keep performing.

So even though he hated how cold the metal hands were against his skin, things weren't actually as bad as he thought they might be.

They checked his blood pressure, temperature, drew blood, had him perform a few stretches or specific body movements, examined his eyes, nose, and mouth, and finally held out a container holding three tiny pills.

"What's this?" He asked skeptically.

"Supplements." The Android in front of him answered. "Just to make sure your immune system stays strong."

Hongjoong twisted his lips to the side with uncertainty, but accepted a glass of water and downed the pills all at once.

"How is it going?" Madame Curator asks, accepting a tablet filled with medical charts.

"Almost all of the packs are done. We have teams of Androids with the last few now."

"And what have we discovered? Anything?" She's thinking specifically of her pair of Omegas, but she's not willing to say that out loud right now.

"The packs that are left have all passed their physicals with flying colors. Everyone is strong and generally healthier than the average human. One thing we have noticed is their heart rates are faster, more consistent with that of a wolf. Most have been averaging over one hundred beats per minute. The blood tests we've started running show that their immune systems are much stronger than the average human as well."

"Fascinating."

"There have been slight differences between Alphas, Betas, and Omegas as well, but we are stilly studying all the samples to get more conclusive data."

Madame Curator nods a few times. "And the shots have been administered?"

"Yes, to both the Alphas and Omegas during their physicals."

"Good. Keep up the good work."

"Ma'am, are we going to have another event soon?"

Humming, Madame Curator keeps flicking through the medical records on her tablet. "No... Give them time to recoup. The next even will take a toll on them, so I want them to have time to relax or build up their strength. Make sure to offer a few deals at the markets. We will see if anyone figures it out."

"Yes Ma'am."

The Alphas were called next, followed by the Omegas.

By the time everyone was done, the sun was kissing the tree line, casting the forest in splashes of gold and shadows.

"Is everyone alright?" Hongjoong asked, gently rubbing the spot where his blood was drawn.

"Yeah, I guess." Wooyoung grumbled, rubbing his shoulder. "I hate shots."

"Shots?!" Hongjoong's eyes grew wide and he looked around the two packs.

"You didn't get one?" Seonghwa asked, his light hazelnut scent growing a little stronger.

"I didn't either." Seokjin glanced at Namjoon and shifted in place.

"Who did not get shots?" Namjoon looked around the group of fifteen. His forehead creased with concern when the only ones to raise their hands were Hongjoong, Yeosang, Seokjin, and Hoseok.

"I got two..." Jungkook volunteered softly and the three other Omegas nodded in agreement.

"C-Could that mean something is wrong with us?" Taehyung asked, wringing his hands nervously.

Jimin was quick to take his hand and shake his head. "Let's not jump to conclusions. We have no idea what any of this means."

"He's right." Hongjoong crossed his arms over his stomach. "This entire event has all been one surprise after another, and most of it has been things we could have never guessed. Stressing about 'what ifs' isn't going to help us."

"So what do you suggest we do, Hyung?" Jongho asked, stepping forward a little and squaring his shoulders.

Hongjoong took one step back and bowed his head, showing his Alpha the respect he deserves. "For now? Let's take stock of what we have. I'm sure we are due to go hunting and fishing soon. We can meet up with the others and see how they are doing; I think there is a market tomorrow."

"So business as usual?" Mingi asked.

"Yes, I think that sounds best." Jongho nodded. "Who wants to go see if there's an update on The Maze?"

"I can go." Namjoon volunteered immediately. "I'm definitely curious about the results."

"I'd like to go check on Chan, if that's alright?" Hongjoong asked softly.

Mingi shifted in place a little and started twisting his fingers together. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he turned his head just slightly in Yunho's direction and stayed quiet.

Yet the Beta's shoulders fell and he said, "Go with him. That way you can check on Hwanwoong. I'll go with the others."

"But-" Mingi started to say.

"It's fine, Min." Yunho cut him off and moved to stand next to Jongho and Namjoon. "Really."

The Alpha's eyes never left him, even as Mingi slowly walked over to Hongjoong's side.

"Anyone else?" Jongho asked.

Suddenly the smell of bourbon filled the room and everyone looked at where Yoongi had fallen against the far wall.

"Yoongi-yah!" Jimin reached out to help support him, then withdrew his hand with a hiss.

"Oh fuck." Namjoon said, pulling Jungkook behind him. "Jimin, you need to get him out of here."

"But it's too soon!" Seokjin started counting something using his fingers.

Wooyoung was the next to move, rushing to his Alpha's side. He was stopped by Jimin, who pulled him back a couple of steps. "No, don't get too close."

"What's going on?" The younger asked with a whine?

No one answered him, though. All the members of BTS besides Jimin and Yoongi were huddled together talking very quickly.

"How did this happen?"

"Could it be because he's mated now?"

"Who's going to help him?"

"It's always been Jimin and Jungkook to start-"

"No. Not Jungkook."

"Now is not the time to get possessive, Joon."

"Would someone tell us what is going on?!" Jongho roared, breaking up the panicked conversation.

It wasn't one of the other pack members who answered. Instead it was Yeosang, who had always come through for them. "It's his rut, isn't it?"

"Yes." Seokjin answered. "Have neither of you had one yet?" He looked between Mingi and Jongho, who both shook their heads. "They don't happen as often as heats for Jimin and Jungkook, but in some ways they can be much worse."

"What do we need to do?" Jongho looked at where Wooyoung was still looking at Yoongi with a worried expression.

"It's best for Yoongi to get out of here. He can go back to our cabin with Jimin and Wooyoung." Namjoon said.

San instantly made a distressed whining sound, which had Wooyoung spinning around to look at him.

And in turn, Yoongi lunged forward the second Wooyoung tried to move away from him.

The entire room reacted within seconds.

Wooyoung yelped when Yoongi yanked him back to pin him against the wall.

Jongho turned almost feral, charging forward with blood red eyes.

Hoseok, Mingi, and Yunho all moved to restrain him.

Namjoon and Hongjoong leapt in between all of them with their hands raised. "Enough!!" They both roared at the same time, eyes flashing red and blue.

"I'm f-fine, Sannie." Wooyoung said. His voice was breathy and his lilac scent started to permeate the air.

One look over his shoulder told Hongjoong it was because Yoongi was furiously scenting him while keeping him pressed against the wall.

"Yoongi needs help to get through his rut. I've gone through it too." Namjoon said slowly. He kept his hard gaze focused on Jongho, who was still struggling to break free. "He won't hurt Wooyoung, but this is something we learned the hard way needs to happen. The sooner he can work through this, the better."

"How long does it last?" Seonghwa asked from where he was standing with the other Betas.

"It's varied. Sometimes a day, sometimes three. But we learned it goes faster when he has someone to spend it with." Namjoon slowly lowered his arms. "I promise I will explain more, but the sooner he gets out of here, the sooner we can get him through this. Ruts are... very painful." He added softly.

"Why does Wooyoung have to go?" Jongho growled.

"You know why." Namjoon said harsher than he probably meant to. "Don't fight our natural instincts."

Jongho's eyes flashed red again and he bared his teeth.

Hongjoong opened his mouth to say something, but movement distracted him.

San had worked his way over to Yoongi and Wooyoung, and surprisingly, the Alpha had backed off so the two of them could press their foreheads together and whisper something.

Then San gave one final whine before going to stand in front of Jongho. "Alpha." He growled, instantly gaining the younger's attention. "It will be fine."

The two of them locked eyes for what felt like an eternity... then Jongho finally relaxed with a rumbling growl of his own.

"Go." Namjoon hissed while keeping an eye on Jongho. "I'll come check on you when we get back."

Without another word, Jimin tugged on Yoongi's arm, then led both him and Wooyoung outside.

The air cleared almost right away and everyone in the room relaxed.

It took a few minutes, but the pack managed to regain their composure and finished planning what would happen next.

Jongho refused to leave the cabin now, insisting that he needed to be closer to Wooyoung, just in case, and no one could stand to deny him since he was still so stressed out.

San would stay with him, along with Yeosang and Seonghwa.

Everyone else gathered their things to leave.

"We will be back as fast as we can." Namjoon promised. He crouched in front of where Jongho was sitting on a couch, his leg bouncing endlessly. "I know this is hard. I promise, I do. But Yoongi would never do anything to hurt Wooyoung. He and Jimin have been through this before, they know what to do. You'll understand when yours comes."

Jongho's eyes slowly rolled up to look at the older Alpha. He looked so scared... but Namjoon's words seemed to reassure him a little at least because he nodded and sat back.

Seeming to approve, Namjoon rose and tipped his head to everyone else in the pack.

The two groups made their way outside where the sun was almost entirely behind the trees.

"We should hurry." Taehyung said, stepping a little closer to Seokjin. "I don't know if I trust the nights here..."

"He's right. Are you sure you still want to go on your own?" Namjoon asked, turning to Hongjoong and Mingi.

"Their packs are close by, I'm sure we will be back before you." Hongjoong answered.

"I'll go with them." Yunho's voice cut through anyone else's next words. His eyes were on the ground, but he was standing close enough to Mingi that their fingers grazed together. "That way there will be one more."

Namjoon nodded in approval. "Be safe. We will be back as fast as we can."

As they started to walk away, Mingi turned to Yunho and gently cupped his cheek. "Yunho-yah, you don't have to do this."

"I know." The Beta leaned into his touch and sighed. "But I also don't trust the nights here and... I know that I... I need to support you."

Hongjoong smiled softly as the two of them embraced. He hated to break up the touching moment, so he let it go one for another moment or two before clearing his throat. "Come on, the sooner we go check on the others, the sooner we can get back and help Jongho."